Labor Department reports Rochester region adds jobs

The Rochester metropolitan area economy continued its improvement last month, with an increase in both the number of non-farm jobs and private-sector jobs, the state Department of Labor said Thursday.

Over the last year Rochester has added 2,400 non-farm jobs, or 0.5 percent, while the private sector has added 1,200 jobs, or 0.3 percent, not seasonally adjusted. Rochester ranked third among upstate regions in terms of the number of non-farm jobs added in May.

In the 52-county Upstate New York region, non-farm job growth over the last year was 13,200, while the private sector added 20,400 jobs, not seasonally adjusted. Statewide, some 85,700 non-farm jobs were added from May 2012 to May 2013, while the private sector gained 104,200 jobs.

From April to May the state lost 200 non-farm jobs but gained 5,000 private-sector jobs, on a seasonally adjusted basis.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in New York last month fell to 7.6 percent, its lowest level in more than four years, from 7.8 percent in April.

Non-seasonally adjusted data are valuable in year-to-year comparisons for the same month, for example, May 2012 versus May 2013, the Department of Labor has noted. When comparing different months, seasonally adjusted data provide the most valid comparison.

The professional and business services sector outpaced all other sectors statewide last month in job gains, having added 40,400 jobs since May 2012. The government, primarily concentrated at the local level, continued to lead the sectors with job losses.